The paper explores the relationship between place and Bildung, by asking the question of whether education for patriotism is legitimate from a liberal democratic perspective, and consistent with the liberal conception of autonomy. Martha Nussbaum argues that liberal democracies that aspire to be just are dependent on emotional support from its citizens. Liberal principles, such as respect, equality, liberty, and justice, need to be supported by political emotions, such as compassion and empathy. She claims that education for patriotism, based on stories, heroes, and events, situated in our local contexts, will stimulate the kind of emotions liberal institutions need for support (Nussbaum, 2013). I agree that the stability of modern liberal democracies and liberal institutions need emotional support, and that good emotions should be developed through education. However, given the fact that most of us do not choose our national belongings, and that many citizens of liberal societies have multiply identities, and citizenships, it can be argued that education for patriotism violates democratic principles of legitimacy and autonomy (Brighouse 2007; BenPorat 2007). Patriotism has also been an important tool for nation building, resulting in losses of minority identity, culture, and language. I therefore argue that education for patriotism should be combined with exercises that stimulate critical thinking. In cases of conflict between the values of your local community and the nation, one should not need to put one’s local identity aside. Local identities can be used as a source for critical reflection on dominant conceptions, narratives, and values (Ben Porath 2007, Williams 2007). Drawing on theories of citizenship as “shared fate”, I argue that education for liberal democracies needs to take the student’s different social positions into account and allow for different interpretations of national symbols, narratives, and values. Education for patriotism needs to be responsive to the fact that shared national institutions and values have affected minority groups differently, and that we do not interpret institutions, and the values they are based on, in similar ways. I am using the situation of the Samì people in the Nordic countries to frame the discussion and to support my claims.

Brighouse. H. (2007). Should We Teach Patriotic History? In McDonough, K and Feinberg, W, Citizenship and Education in Liberal – Democratic Societies. Oxford University Press. Ben – Porath. S. (2007). Civic Virtue out of necessity: Patriotic and democratic education. Theory and Research in education, 5(1),, pp. 41-59. Sage publication https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1477878507073608 Nussbaum, M (2013). Political Emotion – Why Love Matters for Justice. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.